scottydoesntknow:I'm more surpised that there's 750,000 people who didn't know this will probably be the last year for the current generation of consoles.

But it doesn't mean that there will be no support for the current generation once the new generation is released. The XBox was discontinued in North America in 2007, two years after the release of the 360. There are still new PS2 games being released, 12 years after its release (despite the console being discontinued).

RexTalionis:But it doesn't mean that there will be no support for the current generation once the new generation is released. The XBox was discontinued in North America in 2007, two years after the release of the 360. There are still new PS2 games being released, 12 years after its release (despite the console being discontinued).

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I wonder how many PS2's were sold, total, over the years?My kids still play their PS2. In fact, they've asked for mostly old PS2 games for Christmas.

I think we're going to get a new xbox for xmas. We have one, and it still works, sorta, but the disc tray has stopped opening and the last time I had it fixed it was $50. Also, the power supply / fan thing is NOISY. And we could use one for the living room that had wireless... all that together and we're looking at the cost of a new one.

Also, there are six of us so a secondary one for playing downloaded games is a great idea, especially since we all adore Red Dead Redemption.

I always wonder why people care if x box or playstation sells more, if you have one you have one if you don't you don't, who cares if Sony or Microsoft made money, they ain't giving any to you, ( unless you work or invest there)

JosephFinn:So if I was to buy an XBox in, say, March, I'm safe for at least a few years on that, right?

I'd say so. If a new Xbox was announced tomorrow it would probably be most of a year before it shipped and then it would be a couple years before its install base is big enough and developers are experienced enough to release big-budget games that really innovate over current-gen. The first batch of games tends to look like if previous gen games had more RAM.

Were there actually Black Friday deals on buying the Wii U system? I didn't care to look or get one, but all I saw were Xbox 360 and PS3 game bundles as if most who want one don't have a system by now.

styckx:DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

I heard it's barely equal to them.

Wii-U is just the 4th generation N64. They keep giving each console minimal hardware upgrades and add one new shiny object to justify making people pay another $300 for it.

N64 Gimmick - 64Bit

Gamecube Gimmick - Discs instead of carts

Wii Gimmick - Motion controller

Wii-U Gimmick - LCD controller

I don't think the GCN was gimmick based, it was their last non novelty focused console. Spec wise, it was very good compared tot he ps2. It's just sony was able o attract a lot of developers once sales took off, while the xbox went on to pull in a ton of pc gamers. That left nintendo with pretty much just their first party offerings to attract gamers.

DoomPaul:I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

A little bit less, a little bit more.

Less CPU, more GPU. Not really going to matter much, since it's not exactly pushing lots of polys at high resolutions. AI and calculations will be slower/worse on the WiiU, while some extra bling can be added on the graphical front. Pretty much a wash.

So what I'm saying is that it's the next Nintendo console. Nintendo lags behind in order to keep their price low. They aren't in competition for the next round of mega-AAA gaming.

Skarekrough:DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

NIntendo doesn't play by "specs." Their last Gen didn't have HDMI and that was good enough for you even though Sony and Microsoft had it.

You don't need to know resolution, memory, graphics or CPU. They have a Wiimote and friggin' Mario. If that's not good enough for you then it's obvious that you don''t like "fun" so move it along.

Seriously though. Sony and Microsoft are looking at a decade for turnover. NIntendo is comfortable with six. Let's see how long that lasts.

I doubt they will take a full decade to release the ps4/nextbox. the 10 year lifecycle was also used for the ps1 and ps2, for example. Hell, the ps2 still has games released for it, and is still in production.

Skarekrough:DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

NIntendo doesn't play by "specs." Their last Gen didn't have HDMI and that was good enough for you even though Sony and Microsoft had it.

You don't need to know resolution, memory, graphics or CPU. They have a Wiimote and friggin' Mario. If that's not good enough for you then it's obvious that you don''t like "fun" so move it along.

Seriously though. Sony and Microsoft are looking at a decade for turnover. NIntendo is comfortable with six. Let's see how long that lasts.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was not fun. Sluggish controls and stiff movement are the bane of precision platforming. Go play any Mario platformer from Super Mario World and earlier, then play NSMBW. You'll be snapping wiimotes by the dozen. Add in that croquet-balls-in-a-tumble-dryer multiplayer crap, and you'll see why that game has sat on my shelf since the day after I bought it. The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

None of the "New" Super Mario games are fun. They all suffer from the horrible, sluggish, stiff, imprecise, and laggy controls - even on the DS. You can even play the original SMB and NSMB on the DS back-to-back for comparison. The new games are crap.

The WiiU is pointless. The gimmick this time around just confuses most people, the base hardware is PS3/360 gen equivalent, and the launch library is weak...even the 1st party titles are getting lukewarm reviews.

Also, the update-without-a-splash screen issue is ridiculous as is anyone who defends it. If the UI is failing to report system activity, anyone here would think it was bricked and is a liar if they say otherwise.

Kuroshin:The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

You sound bad at Mario. My friends and I had a blast with the NSMB, even if we got mad as hell at each other for the accidental deaths we caused, but that's half the fun. You really had trouble with the first world? The game barely gets up to Mario 3 challenge until the 4th world. The controls are a bit different from the past, but you can adjust.

dehehn:Kuroshin: The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

You sound bad at Mario. My friends and I had a blast with the NSMB, even if we got mad as hell at each other for the accidental deaths we caused, but that's half the fun. You really had trouble with the first world? The game barely gets up to Mario 3 challenge until the 4th world. The controls are a bit different from the past, but you can adjust.

/Try less breaking controllers, more adjusting to the controls.

You can't adjust out the slop. As someone who has completed all the Marios up to SMW, which was completed 100%, I must not know what I'm talking about. There's perceptible input lag and wayyyyyyyyyyy too much inertia and momentum on *all* of the "New" Mario titles. When I push forward, Mario is supposed to immediately start moving, and when I push jump he's supposed to spring off the precise spot, no more than one or two frames later. Instead, you push forward and it takes a moment for him to start moving, and when you push jump it's quite a few frames before he actually launches into the air.

This is on both the Wii, and the 3DS. Compare SMB (NES VC) to NSMB. There's noticeable difference in control sharpness and response. Hell, I have zero trouble with Super Meat Boy, yet *I* am the one who can't control a game... Right.

/SMB used to be a precision platformer//what do you get when you remove the precision?///NSMB

Nem Wan:JosephFinn: So if I was to buy an XBox in, say, March, I'm safe for at least a few years on that, right?

I'd say so. If a new Xbox was announced tomorrow it would probably be most of a year before it shipped and then it would be a couple years before its install base is big enough and developers are experienced enough to release big-budget games that really innovate over current-gen. The first batch of games tends to look like if previous gen games had more RAM.

Kuroshin:Skarekrough: DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

NIntendo doesn't play by "specs." Their last Gen didn't have HDMI and that was good enough for you even though Sony and Microsoft had it.

You don't need to know resolution, memory, graphics or CPU. They have a Wiimote and friggin' Mario. If that's not good enough for you then it's obvious that you don''t like "fun" so move it along.

Seriously though. Sony and Microsoft are looking at a decade for turnover. NIntendo is comfortable with six. Let's see how long that lasts.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was not fun. Sluggish controls and stiff movement are the bane of precision platforming. Go play any Mario platformer from Super Mario World and earlier, then play NSMBW. You'll be snapping wiimotes by the dozen. Add in that croquet-balls-in-a-tumble-dryer multiplayer crap, and you'll see why that game has sat on my shelf since the day after I bought it. The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

None of the "New" Super Mario games are fun. They all suffer from the horrible, sluggish, stiff, imprecise, and laggy controls - even on the DS. You can even play the original SMB and NSMB on the DS back-to-back for comparison. The new games are crap.

Oddly, I had exactly the opposite experience with New Super Mario Bros. Wii. My wife and I played the shiat out of it. Only game I've ever completed 100% of.

Nintendo would make a killing if they licensed out some of their AAA games to Sony and Microsoft for sale in their respective stores. Sure, you'll have to substitute something else for the stupid waggle motion, but most games would be better off without it anyway.

Antimatter:styckx: DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

I heard it's barely equal to them.

Wii-U is just the 4th generation N64. They keep giving each console minimal hardware upgrades and add one new shiny object to justify making people pay another $300 for it.

N64 Gimmick - 64Bit

Gamecube Gimmick - Discs instead of carts

Wii Gimmick - Motion controller

Wii-U Gimmick - LCD controller

I don't think the GCN was gimmick based, it was their last non novelty focused console. Spec wise, it was very good compared tot he ps2. It's just sony was able o attract a lot of developers once sales took off, while the xbox went on to pull in a ton of pc gamers. That left nintendo with pretty much just their first party offerings to attract gamers.

This, but I've enjoyed my Wii.

It should have had more power (equal to ps3/xbox), and the ergonomic awesomeness of the nunchuck should have been there at launch.

I expect to have a wii-u eventually. One good mario party and it will end up on my shelf.

Nem Wan:JosephFinn: So if I was to buy an XBox in, say, March, I'm safe for at least a few years on that, right?

I'd say so. If a new Xbox was announced tomorrow it would probably be most of a year before it shipped and then it would be a couple years before its install base is big enough and developers are experienced enough to release big-budget games that really innovate over current-gen. The first batch of games tends to look like if previous gen games had more RAM.

If you don't have a 360 yet, you will have years' worth of games in the library to tap. Since you don't, I doubt you care about being on the bleeding edge of releases.

Kuroshin:Skarekrough: DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

NIntendo doesn't play by "specs." Their last Gen didn't have HDMI and that was good enough for you even though Sony and Microsoft had it.

You don't need to know resolution, memory, graphics or CPU. They have a Wiimote and friggin' Mario. If that's not good enough for you then it's obvious that you don''t like "fun" so move it along.

Seriously though. Sony and Microsoft are looking at a decade for turnover. NIntendo is comfortable with six. Let's see how long that lasts.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was not fun. Sluggish controls and stiff movement are the bane of precision platforming. Go play any Mario platformer from Super Mario World and earlier, then play NSMBW. You'll be snapping wiimotes by the dozen. Add in that croquet-balls-in-a-tumble-dryer multiplayer crap, and you'll see why that game has sat on my shelf since the day after I bought it. The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

None of the "New" Super Mario games are fun. They all suffer from the horrible, sluggish, stiff, imprecise, and laggy controls - even on the DS. You can even play the original SMB and NSMB on the DS back-to-back for comparison. The new games are crap.

I had no trouble with mario on the ds. I play my retro systems regularly so I expect I would notice.

Even that's negated by the fact that Microsoft has released SmartGlass... it basically turns any Windows 8 PC (tablet, laptop, desktop, what have you) or Windows Phone 8 device into a controller for Xbox. It's pretty slick.

I bought my first non-Nintendo console this summer. It was a 360. I have a Wii back at the parents' house. I bought more games for the 360 in the first two months of owning it than I did for the Wii in four years. Why? There's nothing good for the Wii. I don't think the Wii U will be any different.

Sales this week are no real indication of console success one way or the other. Fact is, Wii U had no special deals this week, which were available in abundance for every other system. Sales over the next couple weeks as we approach Christmas will be a much better hint at how many kids are begging their parents for a Wii U.

JosephFinn:Nem Wan: JosephFinn: So if I was to buy an XBox in, say, March, I'm safe for at least a few years on that, right?

I'd say so. If a new Xbox was announced tomorrow it would probably be most of a year before it shipped and then it would be a couple years before its install base is big enough and developers are experienced enough to release big-budget games that really innovate over current-gen. The first batch of games tends to look like if previous gen games had more RAM.

Thank you kindly.

I bought one recently (that $250 deal that included forza and skyrim) after getting fed up that my 2007-vintage imac (bootcamped) couldn't handle any of the newer games that i wanted such as skyrim, borderlands 2, ac3, batman city, etc. and that if i wanted to build a small windows pc to put in the living room media cabinet it would cost me around $500, plus whatever frustration i'd encounter getting it to work and fitting everything into a tiny case. Or spending $$$$ for that tiny alienware pc.

while a new xbox was only $250 and is absolutely silent, and all the games work on it, and since most of them are "console ports" anyway, i figure I'm not losing all that much in gameplay experience.

Really the only drawback I can think of is that xbox games aren't that cheap even when they've been around a while, while Steam Sales are farking awesome. and the $40/year for xbox live w/the costco discount.

i figure it'll last me for a few years anyway, even if the xbox 3 comes out next week.

You heard wrong. It has 4x the memory of either of them, and the GPU is far more powerful (though I have heard the CPU is merely on par with them). The next gen entries from Sony and MS will likely be more powerful than the Wii U, but the Wii U still beats the current gen handily.

styckx:Wii-U is just the 4th generation N64. They keep giving each console minimal hardware upgrades and add one new shiny object to justify making people pay another $300 for it.

You heard wrong. It has 4x the memory of either of them, and the GPU is far more powerful (though I have heard the CPU is merely on par with them). The next gen entries from Sony and MS will likely be more powerful than the Wii U, but the Wii U still beats the current gen handily.

styckx: Wii-U is just the 4th generation N64. They keep giving each console minimal hardware upgrades and add one new shiny object to justify making people pay another $300 for it.

Marine1:CygnusDarius: I posted this on another thread, but it's still valid.

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Even that's negated by the fact that Microsoft has released SmartGlass... it basically turns any Windows 8 PC (tablet, laptop, desktop, what have you) or Windows Phone 8 device into a controller for Xbox. It's pretty slick.

I bought my first non-Nintendo console this summer. It was a 360. I have a Wii back at the parents' house. I bought more games for the 360 in the first two months of owning it than I did for the Wii in four years. Why? There's nothing good for the Wii. I don't think the Wii U will be any different.

Well, Microsoft should also get think on doing it. Or kickstart project, c'mon :C

Marine1:CygnusDarius: I posted this on another thread, but it's still valid.

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Even that's negated by the fact that Microsoft has released SmartGlass... it basically turns any Windows 8 PC (tablet, laptop, desktop, what have you) or Windows Phone 8 device into a controller for Xbox. It's pretty slick.

I bought my first non-Nintendo console this summer. It was a 360. I have a Wii back at the parents' house. I bought more games for the 360 in the first two months of owning it than I did for the Wii in four years. Why? There's nothing good for the Wii. I don't think the Wii U will be any different.

Have to be honest, my experience has been the exact opposite. I had all kinds of games on my Wii. When I got an HDTV, I foolishly sold it and bought an XBox 360. I didn't buy a lot of games for it, simply because almost everything I wanted on it was also on Steam, for half the price or less. With free multiplayer, to boot. Just got through selling that off and using the proceeds to buy a new graphics card for my HTPC, and I'll just use Steam's Big Picture mode as my console going forward (though I might get a Wii U down the line).

poot_rootbeer:The NSMB games seem to take the character physics from the 3-D Super Mario games and apply them to a classic 2-D platformer. Not sure why it was done, but it's fine once you get used to it.

This is not okay.

The games can still be fun, but they are watered down. The old games could have more interesting challeges wherein Mario would need to do all sorts of fancy acrobatics just to survive. The new games have to account for the fact that Mario's reaction time is now extra slow, so they can't require quick transitions from one action to another.

Look up some of the Kaizo Mario hacks on YouTube. That stuff is only possible with the old Mario physics (SMB3 and SMW being the most popular in the Mario hacking community). Even the non-Kaizo-level hacks tend to require fast reflexes and decent skill, and that is as it should be. That's how Mario games were until the first truly bad one, Mario 64.

I still enjoy new Mario challenges these days, but the fan-made games are now considerably better than the stuff Nintendo puts out. Some franchises, like Zelda, do really well in 3D. Others, like Mario, Metroid, and Castlevania (or any platformers, come to think of it), do not.

germ78:Nintendo would make a killing if they licensed out some of their AAA games to Sony and Microsoft for sale in their respective stores. Sure, you'll have to substitute something else for the stupid waggle motion, but most games would be better off without it anyway.

shiat yeah they would. Give me super smash brothers (n64) version to play on xbox live and I'd buy it. Along with Mario and shiat

Tax Boy:Really the only drawback I can think of is that xbox games aren't that cheap even when they've been around a while, while Steam Sales are farking awesome. and the $40/year for xbox live w/the costco discount.

Check Amazon for deals right now. I grabbed Forza Horizon for $15 on one of Amazon's Black Friday lightning deals, for example. They are going to be running some good discounts all the way through the Christmas season.

I'm posting this from my Wii U, which, by the way, has a great web browser.

I like the console. I feel kinda sorry for gamers who skip the Wii U and never get to enjoy ZombiU. I'm having a lot of fun with it. SMBU is also fantastic, and I'm not much of a Nintendo fan. I was going to skip the U. I skipped the Wii, and sold my N64 and GameCube not long after getting them because the games selection kind of sucked.

The U is also a teriffic Netflix device. Best interferface for Netflix so far, and I have had a lot of them.

Honestly, the Wii U feels like a next-gen 2013 update to the SNES, instead of being kin to the Wii.

Yes, the controller is a gimmick, but it's one they perfected on the DS. The games that do it right are really cool.

Don't bother with the Deluxe version unless you want Nintendoland. The cradle can be had for $8 from third parties online, and the internal storage is a moot point because you can add it yourself via USB.

And to back up what was already said... the 'bricking' from the firmware update was falsely reported by an idiot. The console isn't bricked... It's in recovery mode and will finish the update despite the fact that some people are dumb enough to pull the plug during a firmware update.

Kuroshin:None of the "New" Super Mario games are fun. They all suffer from the horrible, sluggish, stiff, imprecise, and laggy controls - even on the DS. You can even play the original SMB and NSMB on the DS back-to-back for comparison. The new games are crap.

I agree 100%. And don't even get me started on the whole "wiggle the wiimote and hold b to pick something up."

The more astonishing fact in all this is that the original Wii still managed to sell 300,000 units in the same week. That's a hell of a lot of units sold of a console pretty much everyone has declared dead.

Between the WiiU, the Wii, the DS, an the 3DS, Nintendo sold something like 1.2 million consoles last week.

The Angry Hand of God:styckx: Tourney3p0: The Wii U should be collecting dust in every household in America in no time.

But does it have OVER 9000 shiatty plastic controller attachments yet?

It should have a broom and dustpan one. The game could be to pick up all the other shiatty attachments and throw them out.

this is funny since i sold my 360 slim ever since i dropped XBL gold (since it has the worst version of netflix and the worst online community and the worst versions of downloadable indie games - not counting the horrible support MS has given to XBLIG), kinect collecting dust almost since the day i bought it back in 2010 didn't help either (the tech was ahead of its time, but not really in a good way, it was a decent dancing game accessory in the long run but that's about all it's become)

Kuroshin:DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

A little bit less, a little bit more.

Less CPU, more GPU. Not really going to matter much, since it's not exactly pushing lots of polys at high resolutions. AI and calculations will be slower/worse on the WiiU, while some extra bling can be added on the graphical front. Pretty much a wash.

So what I'm saying is that it's the next Nintendo console. Nintendo lags behind in order to keep their price low. They aren't in competition for the next round of mega-AAA gaming.

it's got a better GPU and more ram to work with, not to mention it pushes a second picture to the controller without eating into resources

its biggest problem isn't really the CPU it's the slow ram bus speed, it's half that of the PS3 or 360

i'm positive the console will have breathtaking games that can be looked at as nearly as good as what you'll see on PS4/720, but say goodbye to ports after a certain point

I've just been given one, can't wait to try a shiat load of games i've never seen before.

/360 and Wii owner.

Don't get "Monster Rancher". You get new monsters from different disks, like cd's and dvd's. Sounds great...we went through about 4 PS2's b/c of that game. The constant swapping of disks killed the laser.

Trade Secret:I have a tween and two freshman in college, we got a Wii when it launched and they just never got into it. OTOH they have burned up 3 Xboxes. One from the RROD and the others just wore out.

I have a PS3, don't play it as much as I would like but I use the shiat out of the blueray and netflix.

/still have my Atari 2600, in the box and my NES with the Powerpad

This is like us, as well. (Well...we have 4 at home, including older son's fiance...he's at college 4 hours away, and a daughter at college)No one plays on the Wii.

We have 2 360's in the house, and college son got the Star Wars one for high school graduation. We also have a PS3 that they're just now wanting games for. (They wanted it only for Disgaea 3)

The Nintendo 64 gets more play than the Wii./I don't see a Wii U in our future.

Kuroshin:Skarekrough: DoomPaul: I'm not 100% sure on the Wii U's specs but does it really even qualify as a "next gen" console? I mean, how does its specs compare to the 360 and PS3?

NIntendo doesn't play by "specs." Their last Gen didn't have HDMI and that was good enough for you even though Sony and Microsoft had it.

You don't need to know resolution, memory, graphics or CPU. They have a Wiimote and friggin' Mario. If that's not good enough for you then it's obvious that you don''t like "fun" so move it along.

Seriously though. Sony and Microsoft are looking at a decade for turnover. NIntendo is comfortable with six. Let's see how long that lasts.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was not fun. Sluggish controls and stiff movement are the bane of precision platforming. Go play any Mario platformer from Super Mario World and earlier, then play NSMBW. You'll be snapping wiimotes by the dozen. Add in that croquet-balls-in-a-tumble-dryer multiplayer crap, and you'll see why that game has sat on my shelf since the day after I bought it. The controls were so crappy that I got screaming mad at the game by the time I reached the first castle, and my wife didn't even make it to the second castle after I tossed my controller in the trash. (I recovered the controller...eventually)

None of the "New" Super Mario games are fun. They all suffer from the horrible, sluggish, stiff, imprecise, and laggy controls - even on the DS. You can even play the original SMB and NSMB on the DS back-to-back for comparison. The new games are crap.

In contrast, my friends and I found NSMBW to be hilariously awesome. It quickly became our go-to group game and even affected our vocabulary ("dude, do you even bubble?") Obviously we've had different experiences.

Earpj:Don't get "Monster Rancher". You get new monsters from different disks, like cd's and dvd's. Sounds great...we went through about 4 PS2's b/c of that game. The constant swapping of disks killed the laser.

Ha!, no, that didn't appear in any of the 'top 25' lists i was looking at!, I was thinking more like Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy.

I already collected a fair few original XBOX games as the 360 will play them, so it will be nice to see some PS exclusives. And i'd love to get hold of a copy of the original PS Destruction Derby 2, I used to love that on the PC.

I can't get the cap off!:The Angry Hand of God: What in the hell is a Wii U? Is that where you go to learn how to play Wii? I haven't seen any advertisements for this on the television.

I have to admit it kind of seems like Nintendo is content to sit back this generation and coast as far as they can on the success of the Wii.

It's endemic in Japanese gaming - their industry is flagging and most of the really outspoken critics are japanese game developers who openly admit that they are just not coming up with the good ideas like they used to.

Here's some interesting comments from the guy who did the character design on both the original Street Fighter and Mega Man games.

I tend to agree with him. I see an industry that is really stagnating and trading in on aging brands to keep cash coming in. If you look at all the new and popular brands that have appeared in the last 10 years or so, they are almost exclusively western in origination. That's probably a complete flip from where gaming was in the 90's.

AdamK:it's got a better GPU and more ram to work with, not to mention it pushes a second picture to the controller without eating into resources

its biggest problem isn't really the CPU it's the slow ram bus speed, it's half that of the PS3 or 360

i'm positive the console will have breathtaking games that can be looked at as nearly as good as what you'll see on PS4/720, but say goodbye to ports after a certain point

Nintendo hasn't been good at ports, ever really. Even the Gamecube, while a pretty powerful machine compared to the PS2, went and used mini dvd instead of the standard 12 cm, which could hold significantly less. Not all games needed that much space mind you, but I think it's a complication that developers shouldn't have had to deal with. I personally buy Nintendo for their exclusives, though I think they should be in a better position with developers now that they're using Bluray sized discs and will have the option of installing games to a hard drive.

Nintendo beat them with a console that cost twice as much with almost no library. Plus they sold out.

So, who had a bad week again?

The WiiU sales for $299 for the 8g kit and $349 for the 16g kit. Your numbers are off.

I was out shopping on Thanksgiving evening, the Wal-Mart sale. Saw several people picking up the $199 PS3 bundle. The crowd at the special sale display for the 360 was pretty big. You could hear crickets in the Wii section.

Nintendo beat them with a console that cost twice as much with almost no library. Plus they sold out.

So, who had a bad week again?

The WiiU sales for $299 for the 8g kit and $349 for the 16g kit. Your numbers are off.

I was out shopping on Thanksgiving evening, the Wal-Mart sale. Saw several people picking up the $199 PS3 bundle. The crowd at the special sale display for the 360 was pretty big. You could hear crickets in the Wii section.

Better comparison:

Microsoft is currently selling one video game console: the Xbox 360. They sold 750,000 last week.

Nintendo is currently selling four video game consoles: the Wii U, the Wii, the 3DS, and the DS. Combined, Nintendo sold 1.2 million units last week.

My Wii is collecting dust and has been after the first six months, and so far I see no incentive in purchasing the Wii U

I see a lot of this here. It is either hyperbole, people buying it despite not liking mario/zelda/kirby, or stupidity.

Mario galaxy 2 and skyward sword were both a blast.

Were a blast. Yes. Not even the kids want to hyper bowl on it any more. For those people that use their Wii as a main console absolutely upgrade now. I'll going to pass for now. p.s. anyone want an original Wii at a good price?

Nintendo beat them with a console that cost twice as much with almost no library. Plus they sold out.

So, who had a bad week again?

The Deluxe version of the Wii U is $349 and the Basic is $299.

For the Xbox, there are 4 versions:

4 GB - $1994 GB w/ Kinect - $299250 GB - $299250 GB w/ Kinect - $399

Granted, the Xbox had holiday bundles with games included, and there were a lot of Back Friday sales that brought the price down by $100 on the Xbox bundles, but I'm betting the average selling price was probably within $100 between the two once you figure that a good chunk of Wii U sales were on the basic version selling at $299 and a decent number of Xbox sold were probably 250 GB Kinect bundles discounted down to $299. That's really not twice the price if you do the math.

My Wii is collecting dust and has been after the first six months, and so far I see no incentive in purchasing the Wii U

I see a lot of this here. It is either hyperbole, people buying it despite not liking mario/zelda/kirby, or stupidity.

Mario galaxy 2 and skyward sword were both a blast.

Were a blast. Yes. Not even the kids want to hyper bowl on it any more. For those people that use their Wii as a main console absolutely upgrade now. I'll going to pass for now. p.s. anyone want an original Wii at a good price?

Im not saying the system has a good library. It absolutely does not.

I'm saying it has a much better library than people who don't pick up at least an average of a game per year for it.

If one didn't like the games I mentioned and bought the Wii, they should theoretically be too stupid to post.

Microsoft is currently selling one video game console: the Xbox 360. They sold 750,000 last week.

Nintendo is currently selling four video game consoles: the Wii U, the Wii, the 3DS, and the DS. Combined, Nintendo sold 1.2 million units last week.

We WERE talking about consoles, but if you wanted to include every device sold by each company that can play games, then you also might want to include the Windows Phone and Windows PC sales in that number. Microsoft doesn't get a cut of sales on the PC side of things unless someone buys a Microsoft game or gets one via the Win 8 or Win Phone stores, but they are technically gaming capable devices that Microsoft makes money off of one way or the other.

Microsoft is currently selling one video game console: the Xbox 360. They sold 750,000 last week.

Nintendo is currently selling four video game consoles: the Wii U, the Wii, the 3DS, and the DS. Combined, Nintendo sold 1.2 million units last week.

We WERE talking about consoles, but if you wanted to include every device sold by each company that can play games, then you also might want to include the Windows Phone and Windows PC sales in that number. Microsoft doesn't get a cut of sales on the PC side of things unless someone buys a Microsoft game or gets one via the Win 8 or Win Phone stores, but they are technically gaming capable devices that Microsoft makes money off of one way or the other.

That seems a stretch.

Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Microsoft is currently selling one video game console: the Xbox 360. They sold 750,000 last week.

Nintendo is currently selling four video game consoles: the Wii U, the Wii, the 3DS, and the DS. Combined, Nintendo sold 1.2 million units last week.

We WERE talking about consoles, but if you wanted to include every device sold by each company that can play games, then you also might want to include the Windows Phone and Windows PC sales in that number. Microsoft doesn't get a cut of sales on the PC side of things unless someone buys a Microsoft game or gets one via the Win 8 or Win Phone stores, but they are technically gaming capable devices that Microsoft makes money off of one way or the other.

Well, that's kind of an apples and oranges comparison. A handheld console like a 3DS or a Vita is a dedicated gaming machine like a home console, and so belongs in the same category. A smartphone or a PC is not solely or even primarily a game machine.

But even if you're only talking about home consoles and excluding handhelds and other devices, Nintendo moved 700,000 last week (400,000 Wii U + 300,000 Wii), which is practically the same number of Xboxes that Microsoft sold.

My Wii is collecting dust and has been after the first six months, and so far I see no incentive in purchasing the Wii U

I see a lot of this here. It is either hyperbole, people buying it despite not liking mario/zelda/kirby, or stupidity.

Mario galaxy 2 and skyward sword were both a blast.

Were a blast. Yes. Not even the kids want to hyper bowl on it any more. For those people that use their Wii as a main console absolutely upgrade now. I'll going to pass for now. p.s. anyone want an original Wii at a good price?

Im not saying the system has a good library. It absolutely does not.

I'm saying it has a much better library than people who don't pick up at least an average of a game per year for it.

If one didn't like the games I mentioned and bought the Wii, they should theoretically be too stupid to post.

I'll drink to that. But only coffee with Baileys. Its not even 10 am here.

The only reason the Wii isn't the most useless piece of electronics I have ever purchased is the fact that I own a Toshiba HD-DVD player. The damn thing collects more dust than my PS3 which is so disused that I'm not even sure where the controllers are. Seriously the last game I played on the PS3 is Drakes Fortune 3 which was dissapointing, and the last game I played on the Wii was the the new SMB (the first one).

also, we are talking about whether company A is a failure we should all pile on or not. Nobody is making that claim about microsoft, but if they were I'd have no problem pointing to other revenue streams.

I don't think anyone, not even the most rabid nintendo fanboy, is claiming nintendo is the superior gaming company.

Also a prediction: the 'gimmick' of the wii-u will be poorly executed, but done just well enough that both microsoft and sony get in on the game for their next gen :)

SickAsAParrot:Ha!, no, that didn't appear in any of the 'top 25' lists i was looking at!, I was thinking more like Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy.

I already collected a fair few original XBOX games as the 360 will play them, so it will be nice to see some PS exclusives. And i'd love to get hold of a copy of the original PS Destruction Derby 2, I used to love that on the PC.

Fair enough. My kids like fighting games and Pokemon type games. Disgaea was a BIG hit with them.I would like to build my kids a Yoshi Box. I'm only missing, oh...a lot of consoles.

also, we are talking about whether company A is a failure we should all pile on or not. Nobody is making that claim about microsoft, but if they were I'd have no problem pointing to other revenue streams.

I don't think anyone, not even the most rabid nintendo fanboy, is claiming nintendo is the superior gaming company.

Also a prediction: the 'gimmick' of the wii-u will be poorly executed, but done just well enough that both microsoft and sony get in on the game for their next gen :)

Microsoft smart glass is pretty much already there and it's accomplished by a firmware update for the 360. A standard size screen would be an improvement but the possibilities are endless. Imagine having a Google maps like interface for a map of skyrim or Los Santos on your phone or tablet. That's just plain awesome no matter how you slice it.

Smackledorfer:Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

Mad_Radhu:Smackledorfer: Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

which I don't quite get. For casual gamers maybe. The Dungeon Hunter type games I can muddle through on a small touch only interface like my cell phone, and ones like Angry Birds. My 3ds is great for PM: Sticker Star, and my Vita is geting a work out with Gravity Rush, All stars and GOW titles. I've tried doing the GTA ports on ipad etc, and really am not a fan of the touch controls

Doc Daneeka:But even if you're only talking about home consoles and excluding handhelds and other devices, Nintendo moved 700,000 last week (400,000 Wii U + 300,000 Wii), which is practically the same number of Xboxes that Microsoft sold.

That's more of a fair comparison, in my opinion. Once you start adding in handhelds, it gets weird these days because you have smartphones starting to eat up the mobile gaming marketshare, especially with Xbox Live support for the games on Windows Phone. Windows Phone hasn't been setting the world on fire so far, but the Lumia 920 and HTC 8X to be selling strong, so there is the potential for Windows Phone to eventually carve out a decent chunk of marketshare over time. Certain games don't translate well over to the phone like act

olapbill:Mad_Radhu: Smackledorfer: Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

which I don't quite get. For casual gamers maybe. The Dungeon Hunter type games I can muddle through on a small touch only interface like my cell phone, and ones like Angry Birds. My 3ds is great for PM: Sticker Star, and my Vita is geting a work out with Gravity Rush, All stars and GOW titles. I've tried doing the GTA ports on ipad etc, and really am not a fan of the touch controls

It depends on the type of game you are looking at. Platformers aren't great unless you adapt them to the touch interface, and maybe use some of the tricks like the Wii U uses like drawing a path on screen. RTS and RPGs, however, translate into touch pretty well since they are driven by onscreen options. Something like Infinity Blade really shows what you can do with a touch UI, however.

Mad_Radhu:Smackledorfer: Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

Smackledorfer:Mad_Radhu: Smackledorfer: Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

I'd say finding new markets more than taking them.

My galaxy 2 is no ds for gaming fun.

I have an iPad (3rd gen) and an iPhone 4S and a Nook Tablet.

I'd still rather play games on my five-year-old DS. Touchscreen games are often a PITA to control. You really need at least a d-pad and some buttons. And when you download iPhone games for free or for 99¢, you generally get what you pay for - extremely shallow, simplistic games with no depth or lasting value.

When television first became commonplace, and everyone started getting sets installed in their homes, plenty of people were sounding the death knell for movie theaters. Why would anyone go pay more money to sit in a theater and watch a film when they can watch as many hours of television broadcasts as they want for free? Of course, Hollywood is still doing fine all these decades later, and blockbuster movies make hundreds of millions of dollars in box office. That's because movie theaters offer an experience that you can't get in your living room, so they offer a different value proposition.

In the same way, both cheap phone/tablet/Facebook games and full-price console/handheld games will coexist. They offer different value propositions. You pay more for a 3DS game or a console game than you do to play Angry Birds or Farmville, but you get a much richer experience for your money.

Doc Daneeka:Smackledorfer: Mad_Radhu: Smackledorfer: Dedicated gamimg devices, even including pcs for gaming, seems like a better category than one including cellphones.

Yeah, it is a bit of a stretch, but I would have thought the PC would have been the one being objected to. Cell phones are currently encroaching on the 3DS and Vita market in a big way. Windows Phones not so much, but the iPhone/iPod touch scares the living hell out of Nintendo and Sony in terms of stealing their mobile market share.

I'd say finding new markets more than taking them.

My galaxy 2 is no ds for gaming fun.

I have an iPad (3rd gen) and an iPhone 4S and a Nook Tablet.

I'd still rather play games on my five-year-old DS. Touchscreen games are often a PITA to control. You really need at least a d-pad and some buttons. And when you download iPhone games for free or for 99¢, you generally get what you pay for - extremely shallow, simplistic games with no depth or lasting value.

When television first became commonplace, and everyone started getting sets installed in their homes, plenty of people were sounding the death knell for movie theaters. Why would anyone go pay more money to sit in a theater and watch a film when they can watch as many hours of television broadcasts as they want for free? Of course, Hollywood is still doing fine all these decades later, and blockbuster movies make hundreds of millions of dollars in box office. That's because movie theaters offer an experience that you can't get in your living room, so they offer a different value proposition.

In the same way, both cheap phone/tablet/Facebook games and full-price console/handheld games will coexist. They offer different value propositions. You pay more for a 3DS game or a console game than you do to play Angry Birds or Farmville, but you get a much richer experience for your money.

You just haven't tried hard enough. May I suggest the Moga Pivot for your smartphone?

It folds up to be very compact, but when you want to game you pop your phone into it and pair via Bluetooth. It works great in Android once you load the unlock patch available on the Google Play Store (for free). It's compatible with all the best emulators, too, after being patched.

This way you get the joy of controls, plus the low cost of smartphone games.

I could see an RPG market taking off on smart phones, but even then you lose a ton of screen to get your commands up - which goes directly to your movie theater comparison, Doc Daneeka.

The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

Anecdotal: I don't know a single person who likes phone games who would have bought a DS if the phone games didn't exist. I know gamers, non-gamers, and the non-gamers are split between those who goof around with phone games and those who don't. I'm still going to have to call them non-gamers though.

To say nothing of phone batter power. Call me when I have an absolute minimum of 5 hours of batter life when using my phone to its fullest extent. Am I going to use my phone for 5 hours straight? Probably not, but there is nothing more frustrating than running out of battery because you browsed the internet for an extra 20 minutes during some downtime.

Doc Daneeka:I'd still rather play games on my five-year-old DS. Touchscreen games are often a PITA to control. You really need at least a d-pad and some buttons. And when you download iPhone games for free or for 99¢, you generally get what you pay for - extremely shallow, simplistic games with no depth or lasting value.

You just haven't been playing enough smartphone games:

And that's just some examples from Windows Phone. I'm sure iOS has a lot more examples of DS-quality games.

Mad_Radhu:Doc Daneeka: I'd still rather play games on my five-year-old DS. Touchscreen games are often a PITA to control. You really need at least a d-pad and some buttons. And when you download iPhone games for free or for 99¢, you generally get what you pay for - extremely shallow, simplistic games with no depth or lasting value.

You just haven't been playing enough smartphone games:

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And that's just some examples from Windows Phone. I'm sure iOS has a lot more examples of DS-quality games.

Yes they do. As an example Square enix makes full RPG style games available for about $14 bucks. There are many others in the $3-$5 range Personally I just don't like the controls/platform for those types of games, and prefer them on an actual hand held. YMMV.

Smackledorfer:The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

My skepticism about the Wii U is more based on the Xbox already working SmartGlass functionality into games like Forza Horizon. Right now the support is a bit limited,] compared to what the Wii U games are doing with the touchscreen, but over time I'm seeing that removing the advantage of the Wii U's innovative controller, especially as they tweak SmartGlass to be more responsive than it currently is. Also, the majority of the titles are going to be multiplatform, so I have a feeling that the game devs will inevitably target the lowest common denominator, which means that most titles will have the touchscreen functionality tacked on rather than being integral to the game, in order to make it easier to port between the Xbox, PS3, and Wii U in the short term, and in the long term the touch screen functionality might be more built around what SmartGlass can do rather than what the Wii U controller can do (as tablet prices keep dropping, especially if Microsoft ports SmartGlass over to Kindle Fires, tablets might become cheaper than Wii U controllers).

Smackledorfer:The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

IME, the people who deride smartphone gaming are the very same people who deride Nintendo's reliance on "gimmicks" like touchscreens.

Mad_Radhu:Smackledorfer: The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

My skepticism about the Wii U is more based on the Xbox already working SmartGlass functionality into games like Forza Horizon. Right now the support is a bit limited,] compared to what the Wii U games are doing with the touchscreen, but over time I'm seeing that removing the advantage of the Wii U's innovative controller, especially as they tweak SmartGlass to be more responsive than it currently is. Also, the majority of the titles are going to be multiplatform, so I have a feeling that the game devs will inevitably target the lowest common denominator, which means that most titles will have the touchscreen functionality tacked on rather than being integral to the game, in order to make it easier to port between the Xbox, PS3, and Wii U in the short term, and in the long term the touch screen functionality might be more built around what SmartGlass can do rather than what the Wii U controller can do (as tablet prices keep dropping, especially if Microsoft ports SmartGlass over to Kindle Fires, tablets might become cheaper than Wii U controllers).

it's kind of still a market division tho, as in every Wii U comes with the tablet, it's a necessary component to running the system while smartglass is completely optional

i think the real threat to the Wii U is when tablets become powerful enough they can use Wifi Miracast (the tech the Wii U uses to push super low latent video to the tablet in 480p) to push 1080p from the tablet to any tv

at that point the Wii U largely becomes meaningless, nintendo is probably hoping that won't happen until the Wii U is well established if not near the end of its life cycle (which is also when tablets will become that powerful, so it works out either way)

HeartBurnKid:Smackledorfer: The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

IME, the people who deride smartphone gaming are the very same people who deride Nintendo's reliance on "gimmicks" like touchscreens.

Mad_Radhu:Smackledorfer: The weirdest thing about people who defend smart-phone gaming is that they try to play up the touch screen and play down the deficits thereof, while we see with the Wii-U and the DS that there are a ton of people who consider the second screen, the controller screen, the stylus, etc to be horrible add-ons to basic gaming.

How can something that is viewed in a negative light by so many for even being an option, but then people turn around and count angry birds or fruit ninja sales numbers and declare a touchscreen-only device the death knell for portable gaming systems? One of these two views is massively wrong, or there is a lot of overlap and people are contradicting their own views, OR the two groups are completely separate and the cellphones aren't going to dent the DS market.

My skepticism about the Wii U is more based on the Xbox already working SmartGlass functionality into games like Forza Horizon. Right now the support is a bit limited,] compared to what the Wii U games are doing with the touchscreen, but over time I'm seeing that removing the advantage of the Wii U's innovative controller, especially as they tweak SmartGlass to be more responsive than it currently is. Also, the majority of the titles are going to be multiplatform, so I have a feeling that the game devs will inevitably target the lowest common denominator, which means that most titles will have the touchscreen functionality tacked on rather than being integral to the game, in order to make it easier to port between the Xbox, PS3, and Wii U in the short term, and in the long term the touch screen functionality might be more built around what SmartGlass can do rather than what the Wii U controller can do (as tablet prices keep dropping, especially if Microsoft ports SmartGlass over to Kindle Fires, tablets might become cheaper than Wii U controllers).

People keep saying that XBox can do the same thing with Smartglass and PS3 can do the same thing with the Vita, but those people forget one major factor -- both of those require additional hardware. Peripheral hardware tends not to be well supported in the console world, because it acts as an arbitrary limiter on sales. Kinect was an exception to this for a while, largely due to aggressive bundling strategies by Microsoft, but even that has seen its support wane considerably. The Wii U, OTOH, comes with its touchscreen controller in the box.

Smartglass has the added problem that the tablet hardware does not have a built-in traditional gamepad (with the exception of some dodgy Chinese Android devices, and I doubt MS will support the controllers on those things in a million years), while the Vita and Wii U controller do.

Mad_Radhu:I have a feeling that the game devs will inevitably target the lowest common denominator

This is not a hard and fast rule by any means. If game devs were doing that then the Wii would have a much larger library than it does and we wouldn't be having this conversation at all :D

The real question will be market share. The Wii-U will never match the market share of the 360 and ps3, so that might cause non touchscreen games to be made for all three (which if I were a wii-U owner I would be hoping for). It may have enough market share when the next gen sony and microsoft systems come out that the Wii-U gets to set the lowest common denominator instead.

We'll see whether the makers of games even need or use any extra power those two systems will offer. I haven't upgraded my computer in years and it does everything I could need it to.

Egoy3k: Imagine having a Google maps like interface for a map of skyrim or Los Santos on your phone or tablet. That's just plain awesome no matter how you slice it.

On one hand yes, that does sound pretty nifty. On the other... how much more shiatty are the games on the 360 going to become to make use of it?

To do Skyrim (or Fallout 3 or indeed any big open world game) it's already had the map chunks reduced in size, the graphics turned down, the FOV locked, draw distance reduced and it can just.. JUST do 720p and maintain 30fps. Now you want it to dedicate a chunk of it's 512MB RAM (90% of which is in use by the GPU at this point in time) and CPU cycles to encode a video stream and send it over the network?

Sure, but now you're running at 15fps or your having to render the game as a postage stamp and upscale it.

It's a good idea and I'm sure the 720 will do it justice but the 360 is pretty much at its limit already.

I picked up the Wii U on launch day. Nintendo land games are good fun with other people, hell some of the single player ones even kick ass.

New Super Mario Wii U is great. It is very nostalgic and brings me back to the days of super mario world.

Unfortunately there are no other games I want yet. I really bought this thing for the TVii functionality that is not yet here...

With this being said, Mario Kart U and Super Smash U will kick some serious ass, i can bet on it. I really think Nintendo did a really great job with the Wii U; if only because it's HD. The jump from Wii to Wii U will be much more significant than the jump from a ps3 to ps4.

I'm really intrigued by the tablet controller and seriously think this system is going to surprise the Ps3/360 fanboys with some of Nintendos quality releases. I plan to buy the next gen consoles as well (specifically Ps4), but Nintendo has something here that is really going to be huge if executed correctly.

/I've owned almost every major system since NES//only 2 i missed were 360 and Gamecube